IPL 2020 could be the first tournament to take place if cricket resumes: Kuldeep Yadav
With the coronavirus threat denting the possibility of live sport taking place and even indefinitely postponing IPL 2020 until further notice, cricketers have been forced to stay indoors and stay far from live action.
However, Kolkata Knight Riders' star Kuldeep Yadav is very optimistic of the IPL taking place this year and feels that the cash-rich league will be prioritised over other tournaments.
"If cricket happens, I feel the first tournament that will take place is the IPL. Currently, the situation isn’t great in the country. Even the World Cup (ICC World T20) is under a cloud. In my opinion, the IPL should happen and if it happens, it will be a great start," Kuldeep said.
IPL behind closed doors will be beneficial for the bowlers
The talented spinner also shared his thoughts on how the concept of an IPL behind closed doors could even be beneficial for the bowlers.
"If it happens behind closed doors, it will be better for the bowlers because there’ll be a lot less pressure because of the empty stands. Sometimes, batsmen get excited by seeing the crowds. So, I think that is the plus point," he added.
In recent times, there have been a lot of discussions regarding the idea of shining the new ball, with many pundits and experts claiming that saliva should no longer be used in consideration of the coronavirus threat.
While the International Cricket Council (ICC) is yet to take a stand on the whole issue, Cricket Australia recently announced that saliva or sweat cannot be used to shine the ball.
However, as per Kuldeep, who has played 40 matches in the IPL for KKR, it could get tough for the bowlers to adjust to the new conditions immediately. And yet, if cricket does resume earlier than anticipated, the IPL star feels that bowlers will have an advantage.
"Will be tough for bowlers because of the discussions around rubbing saliva on the ball on the ball. It will take time to adjust, maybe a month for batsmen to get used to everything. We will probably get a month's time to prepare before the next tournament, but if we have a quick start, this will be a plus point for the bowlers," Kuldeep quipped.